NYCC: Street Fighter x Tekken's Gem System

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A way to cheat the system? Only time will tell.

By Colin Moriarty

The most raucous panel I attended at this year's New York Comic Con was -- by far -- the one for Capcom's upcoming crossover title Street Fighter x Tekken. The place was packed. Every seat was filled, people were standing up leaning against walls, and some were even occupying the aisles. And all of the excitement was for good reason. Not only was Capcom's popular Seth Killian on hand, but so too was Yoshinori Ono, Street Fighter x Tekken's producer.

The first thing that struck me during this panel was how ridiculously funny Ono is. "This is a Friday night… are you sure this is where you want to be?" Ono asked the crowd through his interpreter. "Please keep your pants on or they won't let me come back to New York," he randomly told the crowd after promising some secret reveals. He also polled the audience about who was a Street Fighter fan and who was a Tekken fan. When it was clear that Street Fighter fans easily outnumbered Tekken fans, he was relieved, remarking that he would "never be able to show [his] face in Japan" if it were the other way around.

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But back to the game Ono is producing. Street Fighter x Tekken has fans excited, and for good reason. Not only is it Capcom's newest "hybrid" fighting game that combines two licenses, but it looks like it's shaping up to be a pretty great title in its own right. Ono and Killian went over some new features in Street Fighter x Tekken, including Pair Tag Battle, which allows up to four different gamers to participate in a single fight via the four characters currently activated (two per side). Better yet, this mode would work not only locally, but online as well.

But what really interested the crowd (other than Street Fighter x Tekken's release date and the reveal of Rufus as a playable character) is something called the Gem System. This system was first revealed nebulously back at Tokyo Game Show, but now Ono was ready to show exactly what the Gem System is all about. The general idea behind the Gem System is to help balance the game. He said that he wanted Street Fighter IV to be more accessible, but now only the most hardcore gamers still play it. He's hoping that the Gem System will help make Street Fighter x Tekken "more inviting" for casual gamers. He then described the Gem System as "Street Fighter meets Magic the Gathering," something that confused the crowd… at least until he showed-off exactly what he meant.

Basically, there will be five "categories" of Gems in the game: Attack, Defense, Speed, Cross Gauge and Assist. Each of those five "categories" will then have "sub-categories" that will further diversify the types of Gems that are available. Gamers can use open slots for Gems and place precisely what they need help with in-game to help bolster their characters. So for instance, you could have a Gem that gives you extra speed, a Gem that adds 10% to the damage you deal, and a Gem that helps you auto-block. The thing is, these Gems aren't just activated at the beginning of a fight. Certain requirements must be met mid-fight in order for them to become active.

Ono and Killian gave the crowd an example by both playing as Ryu. One had Gems equipped, the other did not. The Gem-equipped Ryu had three Attack-type Gems equipped that would give his strikes more power as they activated. For 10% more power, Ryu would first need to get hit with two special moves. For another 10% boost, Ryu would then need to be hit with five normal attacks. And finally, for a huge 20% boost (for 40% in total), Ryu would have to execute a special attack successfully on his opponent. By doing all of this, it was clear that the Gem-equipped Ryu was doing an obscene amount of damage.

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The reaction to the Gem System in the crowd seemed mixed, but I think the system sounds interesting. Fighting game purists and Street Fighter fans are probably not going to find much in the Gem system worth their time (and it'll be interesting how the tournament scene eventually treats them), but accessibility seems to be key with Capcom in its latest fighting games. This simply continues that trend. And it could certainly bring more would-be hardcore fighting fans into the fold moving forward.

What do you think of the Gem System? Is it simply a way to cheat? Or does it bring much-needed balance to hardcore fighting games like this? Sound-off in the comments below and let us know your thoughts.